Predators overcome goose egg in win over Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings left wing Drew Miller (20) runs into Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, left, of Finland, during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Detroit, Sunday, April 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Detroit Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg (40), of Sweden, controls the puck in front of Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter (20) during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Detroit, Sunday, April 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

DETROIT -- The Nashville Predators can win in the postseason at Joe Louis Arena.

After going 0 for 6 all-time in the postseason at Joe Louis Arena, the Predators finally have gotten rid of the goose egg in Detroit.

"We haven't been around for 100 years, so this was just another thing we had to get done," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said after his team's 3-2 win Sunday afternoon.

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The Predators got goals from Shea Weber, on the power play, Kevin Klein and Sergei Kostitsyn, while Pekka Rinne made 41 saves, vaulting Nashville to a 2-1 best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series lead.

"We wanted to win today, we knew it was going to be tough," Henrik Zetterberg said. "They came out and played really tight, especially when they get the lead."

"He is good," Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said of Rinne. "He's one of the top goalies in the league. We have to have traffic and get those second chances. We have to stay on top of him. They're tougher to get in the regular season so you have to earn them. You have to go hard at the net and dig in those second chances."

The Wings got goals from Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, while Jimmy Howard made 19 saves.

"We wanted to play better, especially in Game 3, our first one on home ice," Lidstrom said. "We have to dig in and be really strong in Game 4."

Game 4 is Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena.

It's the third straight game in the series that has been a 3-2 score.

"I think we were better than them in the first game," Jonathan Ericsson said. "They were better than us in the second game. It's been like that because we were better than them today, but it's about scoring goals. It doesn't really make sense."

The Wings, who have dropped two straight games to the Predators on home ice, won Game 2.

"That's playoffs," Kyle Quincey said. "Every night any team can beat any team. It's a matter of will and who wants it more. We came out pretty hard, but we didn't get a few bounces. Next time we come back and do the exact same thing, and hopefully those bounces go in for us."

Detroit went just 5-5-2 over the last 12 regular season games, after setting an NHL record with 23 consecutive wins on home ice.

Nashville's power play, which had been shut out on its first 12 chances of the series, finally clicked on its first opportunity of Game 3, taking advantage of Pavel Datsyuk breaking his stick.

The scoring play began with Howard's point-blank save on a backhander by Andrei Kostitsyn. The puck deflected off of Howard and toward the right side of the net. There, Weber pounced on the loose puck and hammered it in at 2:48 of the first period. Alex Radulov also assisted on the play.

The Wings had killed off 37 straight power play chances by the opposition over the last nine games.

"It was a tough break when Pav broke his stick on the penalty kill," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "But we did lots of good things, their goaltender was good and we just got to come back and get after them right from the start of the game until the end of the game."

Klein gave Nashville a 2-0 lead just after Detroit failed to score on its second power play of the game. Klein, a defenseman, split the Wings' defense and fought off a hook, before beating Howard high on the glove side.

Datsyuk cut the Wings' deficit in half with a play like only he could make.

With both teams down a man, Roman Josi tried to move the puck behind the Predators' net when Datsyuk swooped in and lifted the defenseman's stick. Datsyuk then grabbed the loose puck, came back out front, and jammed it inside the post before Rinne realized what had happened.

"He was all around the net and kind of felt like it was a matter of time before he would score or set something up," Zetterberg said. "He's so strong on his stick, with one motion he can just take the puck right off your stick. It's not easy to do. Obviously, it was a huge goal at that point and really fired us up."

Johan Franzen looked like he tied the game on the power play late in the second period, but the puck crossed the goal line just after time had expired.

"We knew before we left the bench, our video guys told us it wasn't in, so I don't think that was an issue at all," Babcock said.

"It would have been nice to go in with a tied game, but I thought we still came out with a good push," Lidstrom said.

In the third, Cory Emmerton nearly tied it before the midway point of the period after snatching up a juicy rebound off the right pad of Rinne. Klein, however, got his stick in the shooting lane to deflect it just wide of the open net.

Sergei Kostitsyn finished off a 2-on-1 to ice the Predators' win, sneaking a shot between Howard's arm and body with 3:30 left in the third period. It was his first point in 11 games.

"We worked so hard to get our chances," Quincey said. "(Rinne) came up huge and so did Jimmy. They got that 2-on-1. We don't give them anything in the third, probably one chance and they score. It's playoff hockey. You have to tip your hat to them because they did a good job."

Zetterberg beat Rinne over this shoulder with 54 seconds left for the one-goal end result.

"We were firing from all angles, that's part of our game plan, to get the puck on net and shoot it," Howard said. "You can see what we're trying to accomplish out there and we have to stick to it."

"I think second half we had a lot of chances, we played a lot in their end," Zetterberg said. "Unfortunately they got an odd-man rush and scored the third one before we could tie. But we were closing in. We had a few pucks with a few seconds left that could have gone in."